Golden

by Sean Michael

  Coach chuckled for him, tugging him closer and nuzzling the top of his head. “It’s better now, though, yeah?”

  “Yeah. Just feels weird and tingly. You know how that is.”

  “Luckily I only know because you’ve told me and not from experience. I’d take it from you if I could, though.” Coach’s hands were so warm where they touched him.

  “Mmm.” He just let himself enjoy it, float, nice and easy.

  Soft sounds slid over Justin’s skin as Coach pressed kisses against his shoulder, his throat. There was no pressure from Coach to do anything, none at all, despite the heat he could feel against his thigh. Justin let himself melt, enjoy the care, the love that he could feel in every touch. Coach’s caresses slowed, his big hands simply resting against Justin’s skin now, warm breath puffing against his neck.

  “I love you.” Justin let the words float there.

  He felt Coach’s smile against his skin.

  Coach had him, and it was okay.

  Good, even.

  Real.

  Chapter Fifteen

  CHRIS WAITED for Justin to do up his belt and started the car, aiming for home. Justin’s hair was still wet from his swim, his cheeks bright from effort. His babe seemed happy, and that made Chris’s heart glad.

  “We need to stop at the grocery store for dinner supplies?” Chris asked.

  “I don’t think so. I was thinking we could just grill some hot dogs and sit outside on the porch.”

  “That actually sounds nice. We have hot dogs?”

  “Yeah. Buns and chips too.” Justin closed his eyes, leaned against the car seat.

  “Sounds perfect. You okay, babe?”

  “Yep.”

  “Yep?” Chris chuckled. “Your swim tire you out?”

  “Hmm? No. No, I don’t think so. I’m just resting my eyes.”

  “Head bothering you?” It had been a long time since he’d seen Justin with a migraine. He didn’t like it. Justin no doubt didn’t like it even more.

  “Not really. I mean, you know how the day or three after, anything sets one off? I don’t want another one.”

  “No, I’d rather you avoid getting any more of them.”

  “Me too. I think there must have been MSG in the stuff we had for lunch.”

  “Another reason to make our own.”

  “It was that fund-raiser thing for the kids.”

  “Huh. Okay, we’ll have to look more closely into caterers, then.” Chris shot Justin a look. “I’m not risking you.”

  Justin pinked but smiled. “I’m just an assistant coach.”

  “You’re an Olympian. You’re my lover. And my assistant coach.” And maybe more.

  “You’re my best friend.”

  He smiled at Justin. “Thank you.”

  Justin, eyes still closed, reached over and squeezed his leg. “It’s true.”

  “I’m glad.” It was important to him that he be a positive influence in Justin’s life. A good thing beyond being Justin’s coach. And lover. Okay, so he wanted it all.

  “Me too. It’s Friday. Do you have plans for the weekend?”

  “I thought I’d take you for lunch at Silver Linings tomorrow.” He wanted to introduce Justin to other people who lived the lifestyle. So Justin didn’t feel quite so isolated, so much like he was different.

  “Yeah? Okay. Is that a bar?”

  “It’s a club for people in the lifestyle.”

  “And anyone can come in?”

  “No, you need to be a member.”

  “Oh. You’re a member.” Justin’s eyes opened. “But you aren’t doing lifestyle things with them, right?”

  “No, babe. I’m doing lifestyle things with you.”

  “Okay. I just want to make sure that’s clear.”

  He grinned. “Are you staking your claim, babe?”

  “Yes.” Justin sounded definite.

  “I think I like that. A lot.”

  Justin squeezed his fingers.

  “It goes both ways too.”

  “Yeah? You aren’t going to let anyone try to touch me?” Justin asked.

  “That’s right.” Chris couldn’t help the growl in his voice. Nobody was touching Justin. Ever. From any lifestyle.

  “Good. I only want you.”

  “That’s good, because you’re mine. Which doesn’t mean I don’t want to show you off. Introduce you to the guys I know. I’m proud of you, babe.”

  They turned into the drive, and he hit the button for the garage door opener. Justin nodded, and they sat there for a long minute before Justin got out and headed inside. Chris shook his head, nabbed his sports bag, and followed that amazing ass. His boy was complex, and while it was fascinating, it could be frustrating as fuck.

  At least Justin was happy now, back on a routine with someone who loved him. There’d been no more drinking, no more talk of crazy stunts that were stupid at best, suicidal at worst. There was something, though, a restlessness. A sense of loss that never went away. Chris had a hunch competing again would make a difference there. He also needed Justin to completely bare his soul, let Chris see everything.

  It was the weekend, though, and Chris thought they could explore, stretch. Push. Maybe he hadn’t quite made up for the time they’d been apart yet. Of course, going to Silver Linings with Justin maybe wasn’t in the cards yet. If he was going to compete again it might be best for Justin to have no associations with a BDSM club.

  Justin was in the kitchen, radio blaring, back door open. He got the dishes from the cupboard, the utensils, and then went out to set the little patio table. Moving like he was a million miles away, Justin put the hot dogs on the grill.

  “Penny for ’em.”

  “Huh?” Justin gazed at him.

  “A penny. For your thoughts.”

  “I’m not thinking. Just making hot dogs.”

  Uh-huh. “You were a million miles away.”

  “I’m just thinking about swimming, I guess.”

  “Yeah? What about swimming?”

  “Just that… I don’t know if I’m going to be a good coach.”

  Justin was conscientious, seemed to honestly like the kids, and knew what competitive swimming entailed. Chris thought his babe was immanently qualified. “What’s got you worried?”

  “It’s not what I’m meant to do, I don’t think.”

  Chris bit the inside of his lip to keep from grinning. No, Justin wasn’t meant to coach swimming. He was purely meant to swim. “No?” He spoke softly, inviting Justin to expand on that thought.

  “No. I… I like the kids, though. They’re cool.” Justin turned the hot dogs. “They’re almost done. You want your bun grilled?”

  “Yes, please. And the kids are cool. So what do you think you’re meant to be doing, then, if not coaching?”

  “I think I’ve already done it.”

  “Already done what?” Like he didn’t know. Chris could play coy, though, when he wanted to.

  “I’m a swimmer. That’s what I do. Did. Whatever.” His plate was handed to him. “Hot dogs.”

  He waited until Justin glanced up and met his eyes. “It’s what you do, babe.”

  “Yeah. Yeah, but it’s not like a job, huh? I hoped that the coaching would do it, but it doesn’t. I’m sorry.”

  “So maybe you need to think about swimming again.” He took his plate and sat at the table, put mustard and relish on his dogs.

  “I’m retired.” Justin took mustard but didn’t eat, just moved the food around listlessly.

  “You wouldn’t be the first swimmer to come out of retirement.” There were more than three years left for training before the next Olympics. Justin wouldn’t even need that long, but he could have it, he could take it.

  “I’m too old.” Still those long fingers stopped.

  Chris snorted. “How old was Dara Torres when she won three silver medals at the Olympics? Younger than you, I guess. Oh no, she was forty-one at the time.”

  “I made a mistake retiring.” />
  That’s right. Justin had. “So unmake it.”

  “I don’t know if I can. I don’t know if I know how.” Justin chewed his bottom lip. “Maybe. Let’s talk about it later.”

  “One last word and then we both eat. You can do anything you want, Justin. I believe in you.”

  “I know.” Justin offered him a half grin, a nod, but Chris wasn’t sure his boy believed him.

  It made him want to growl and tie Justin up until he knew Justin believed and stopped giving up on his own life.

  He ate, watching Justin pretend to eat, to be present. He growled softly. “How’re your hot dogs?”

  “Okay. Were yours okay?”

  “They were fine. I actually ate them.”

  “What?” Oh, there. There was a hint of attention.

  “You’re moping, babe. And I don’t think you took more than two bites of your hot dog.”

  “I’m not moping.” Justin stood up, gathered the plates and the mostly uneaten bag of chips.

  “You aren’t eating.”

  “I’m not hungry, I guess.”

  “You swam forever. You should be starving.” He was going to keep pushing.

  “Let it go, Coach.”

  God, how many thousand times had he heard those words? “Has that ever worked for you?”

  “Couple times, maybe.” The stubborn set of Justin’s lips was hot as hell.

  “I don’t think even that many.” Chris got up and walked toward Justin, let his love and care for his babe show through as he stalked him.

  “I’m going to….” Justin headed inside, put the dishes down.

  Chris followed. “You’re going to what?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe play a video game or something. Maybe jog.”

  “I have a much better idea, babe.”

  “Yeah?”

  God, he wanted to tear Justin up. “Yeah.” He tugged Justin in close, bringing Justin up against his body.

  “Hey. I was going to….”

  “Play video games? Get fucked by your sexy lover? Which one would you rather do?”

  Justin’s smile grew, brushed his lips. “You’re better than any video game, Coach.”

  “I wasn’t fishing.” Not really.

  “Well, it’s true. I’m in a weird mood, but it’s not about you.”

  “I’m here to turn weird moods into wild, happy-making sex.”

  “Wild, happy-making sex, huh?” That earned him a grin. “Okay, I’m in.”

  “Good.” Chris lapped at Justin’s lips, bit at the bottom one.

  Justin kissed him, still a little distracted, still a little unfocused. Chris bit Justin’s lower lip again, not hard, just enough to bring Justin’s focus front and center on him.

  “Hey.” Justin stepped closer.

  “I’m right here, babe.” Chris slid his hands to Justin’s waist and tugged the T-shirt out of Justin’s jeans.

  “I know. I’m sorry. Maybe it’s not a good time. Maybe I’m just stupid today.”

  “Stop it. You know you’re not allowed to talk about yourself like that.” In fact it made his voice turn growly, and he smacked Justin’s ass.

  “Hey! No spanking!”

  “Then don’t run yourself down.” It was simple, and Justin knew it.

  “Just…. People have stupid days. People have worries. I have worries. I’m going to take a shower.”

  “No, we’re going to make love, remember? Wild, happy-making sex.”

  “Are you going to be pissed if I don’t get happy?”

  “I’m going to keep trying until you do.”

  Justin shook his head. “You are stubborn.”

  He nodded. “More stubborn than you, and that’s saying something.”

  “Can you… do you think you can make it better?”

  Chris looped his arms around Justin, rubbing his babe’s spine. “Is it better now than it was when you first called me?”

  “Yes. I… I was close to being really stupid.”

  “I know. Thank God you called. My point, though, is that I’ve already made it better, so yes, I think I can make it even better.”

  “Confident bastard.”

  “Yep. I know you, babe.”

  “You think so?” Justin rested one cheek against his shoulder.

  “I do. I know you better than anyone else in the whole world.” He kept touching, rubbing, adoring his boy. He massaged the lovely ass and then dragged his fingers up along Justin’s spine. Justin relaxed for him, leaned into him. He pressed a kiss to Justin’s forehead.

  “I could stay like this forever.”

  “Nah, you’d miss the water.”

  “Maybe.”

  Chris snorted. Right. “If we could figure out how to stay in the pool full-time without turning into giant prunes? Then we’d be golden.”

  “That would be fucking cool, wouldn’t it?”

  “My water baby.” Chris rubbed them together and figured they had far too many clothes on. Maybe a shower was just the thing, but for both of them. “Bathroom,” he murmured. “We can at least manage wet until we’re giant prunes.”

  “See? I told you a shower was good.”

  He chuckled and nodded, started down the hall without letting go of his babe. Justin stayed close, and they remained skin to skin as they worked clothes open. Chris kept kissing and nuzzling as they undressed, not letting Justin lose focus. Then he eased his boy into the water, into the warm spray. Something about the water always relaxed Justin. It was kind of amazing.

  “Reach up, Just. Hold on to the showerhead.”

  Justin arched, reached up.

  They needed some toys for the shower. A hook, attachments for the showerhead. He slid his hand over Justin’s water-slick skin. God, he could clean Justin out. His boy would flip out. Just the thought had him hard, and he rubbed against Justin’s belly.

  Justin chuckled. “So horny.”

  “You make me need, Justin. Make me so hungry.”

  “I fed you.” Little tease.

  “Not that kind of hunger, babe. And you know it.” He growled the words and moved in, taking Justin’s mouth.

  Chris kissed Justin like it was the first time, like it was going to be the only time, fucking those needy, sweet lips. He slid his hands down, found his babe’s beautiful, perfect ass. Justin’s muscles jerked, rolled. It made Chris squeeze harder.

  “Going to drive you crazy this weekend. Going to make it so you focus on nothing but your body, your pleasure.” Chris was going to take Justin out of his head. No thinking, just feeling, for two whole days. It was going to be fantastic.

  Then, after, they could talk about what Justin needed. Really talk. He scraped his nails over Justin’s nipples, wanting to make the sensation spark.

  Justin shivered, drew back. “They ache.”

  “Good.” He took one in his mouth and began to suck.

  Justin’s fingers tangled in his hair, holding on to him. He didn’t think Justin knew whether to pull closer or away. Justin’s nipples were already slightly swollen, of course, but less so now at the end of the day than they were in the morning. Chris flicked his tongue back and forth across the hard little tip and sucked even harder. He slid his hands around Justin’s waist, circling it, and stroked along Justin’s spine.

  “Oh God. Coach….” Justin arched, moving into his lips.

  He nodded but didn’t let go, didn’t stop. He kept stroking Justin’s skin too. He wanted this to go on and on. He wanted Justin to need him more than anything else in life, because God knew he felt that way about his lover. More and more every day. “Love these sweet nubs.”

  “You’re obsessed.” Justin petted his temple.

  “There are worse things to be obsessed with.”

  “Swimming. Stats. Uh… potatoes.”

  Chris gazed at Justin and raised an eyebrow. “Potatoes?”

  Justin shrugged, grinned.

  “Are you trying to tell me something? Is there a french fry or mashed-potato fetish I shou
ld be aware of?”

  Justin’s laughter rang out, and Chris fell in love that little bit more.

  “I hope that’s a no.” Chris gave those sweet tits a last pinch, then let his hands drift down to Justin’s ass. “Of course, I’m pretty obsessed about this too.”

  “You are. It feels good, having you want me.”

  “Good.” Thank God Justin recognized that.

  “Can we…? Can you take me to bed?”

  “That’s where we’re headed, babe.”

  In record time, he had them out of the shower and more or less dry. Then he kissed Justin’s nose and started moving them down the hall.

  “No. I know that. I mean, can we…? I need to not think.”

  “Oh, good boy.” For Justin to recognize his need and to verbalize it, ask for it.

  Chris kissed Justin hard. Justin melted into him, clinging to him, lips open and eager. He grasped Justin’s ass, lifting his lover up and against him as he kept moving. Justin wrapped around him, holding on, trusting in his strength.

  He got them to the bedroom and leaned over, falling onto the bed, onto Justin. Justin oofed, still laughing, then squeezed him. Chris pressed kisses all over Justin’s face, their bodies rocking gently, rubbing them together. He warmed Justin up, enjoying the sensations of his boy underneath him.

  “Want to bind you, babe. Stretch you out and clamp your nipples, bind your prick and warm your skin with my hand.”

  “Please. I just want to feel today. My brain is sore.”

  Then what he had planned would be perfect.

  He tugged on one of Justin’s nipples, leaving it stinging as he got up and went to the drawer where he had the stuff he needed. Justin curled up around a pillow, watching him. He found the nipple clamps and a cock ring, and then some silk rope. He grabbed four hanks so he could bind Justin spread-eagle. Then he found a paddle and a nice plug for after they made love. So he could leave his spunk inside Justin’s body. Shit, just the thought made him groan.

  “You look happy.” Justin was holding the pillow as if it were a lover.

  Chris brought the stuff over and set it on the bed next to Justin. “That’s because I am. You make me happy, babe.”

  “Good.” Justin glanced over the toys, but he didn’t say anything.

  “You want to know what these things are and what I’m going to do with them?”